Blue Skies Consortium hits another all time high!
News
Section: Longhurst Group RSS Feed
Publish Date: 14th October
Author: Hannah Bence
Blue Skies Consortium has again been named as one of the UK’s
top 10 developers, following the release of the Homes and
Communities Agency’s National Affordable Housing Programme
2010/2011 funding figures.
It topped the East Midlands league table for the third year
running, receiving almost 22.2% of the region’s £38million total
grant allocation.
The Consortium, which consists of 16 members, has consistently
out-performed much larger competitors in its six-year history.
Taking into consideration the funding it received for properties
in the Yorkshire and Humber region, the Consortium was awarded a
total of £10.9million for the provision of social rented housing
and low-cost home ownership programmes.
Compared against other Housing Association Registered Providers
(HARPs) operating outside London, this puts the Blue Skies
Consortium 10th in the nationwide league table.
Changes to national policy have seen a significant reduction in
public funding for new affordable homes. With the three-year
programme now coming to a close, total grant funding has dropped
from £4.7billion to just £1.2billion.
Blue Skies Consortium saw it’s 2010/2011 funding cut by 81%
compared to 2009/2010 figures but forward-thinking and an
innovative approach to securing alternative funding have helped the
Consortium to thrive in spite of dwindling public subsidy.
Ian Jackson is Development Director for Longhurst Group, one of
the Consortium’s lead partners. He said: “These are excellent
results and demonstrate our long-term commitment to providing
affordable homes where they are most needed.”